Couples

[cosmolinguist]

The wedding photographer looked worried when our table burst out laughing when she suggested taking photos of each couple around the table. I'm sure this isn't much like the reaction she usually gets, and I didn't blame her for saying "What? What'd I say?"

None of us could think of a good answer for her. So she tried again: "How many couples are there here?" Our laughter this time was if anything louder and more hysterical. Finally miss_s_b was able to help the poor woman out. "I'm in a couple with him, and him, and him," she said, pointing at a different person with each "him." "And she's --" (pointing to me now) "-- in a couple with him and him..." and of course by this point one of the "him"s had been pointed to twice.

The photographer just went with it, took a photo of Jennie and the three boys she had with her, and then magister, who'd been standing behind her, walked around the table to stand behind Andrew and me for our picture. And then the photographer looked at the two people left at the table who hadn't been part of any of these photos/couples so far, asked them who they were with, and they said they weren't with anybody there, but they didn't mind having their photo taken together either. Since they were sitting on the side of me where Andrew wasn't, it was a short stroll over for James to stand behind them, too, and so in those pictures we're all cracking up. "Just call me Benedict Cumberbatch," James said afterwards, which worried me for a while (I am not a fan!) until he reminded me of this Cummerbund Bandersnatch beautifully photobombing U2 at the Oscars this year.

And the photographer probably thinks we're all insane.

Comments

[sfred]

The person sitting next to me started trying to explain to me, delicately, what all the hilarity was about, and was a bit flummoxed when a) I knew and b) I'm poly too.

When the photographer got to us she'd updated her approach and asked if there were any "couples, families or groups". :-)

[cosmolinguist]

I'm delighted that you told me these things.

I can't imagine what a delicate explanation for us lot would be like and really admire that person for trying!

I read your comment out to James before he left this morning when he wanted to know what I was laughing at, and he laughed too. This makes me happy.

And if we've broadened the horizons of a wedding photographer and made her language a bit more inclusive, I think that's a good night's work. :)

[magister]

Just as long as I've not inspired anyone to become the new U2. Don't think I could live with that.

[cosmolinguist]

Like I say, it's bad enough that you'd have anything in common with Benedict Cumberbatch. :)

[sfred]

Heh :-)

[sfred]

Delicate explanation didn't actually get very far but mentioned the potential for each person being in more than one couple...

if we've broadened the horizons of a wedding photographer and made her language a bit more inclusive, I think that's a good night's work.

I agree :-)

[cosmolinguist]

Between this and using a men's loo because the ladies' was miles away from where I was and blocked by wedding photographs being taken, I do feel I made my contribution yesterday to the downfall of society as we know it that these same-sex marriages are supposed to bring about. ;)

[sfred]

I didn't quite dare use the men's loo, despite simultaneous fear that I'd be questioned about going into the women's as an obvious bloke...
(One of the food-and-booze-distributing people called me a gentleman, in the context of telling their colleague that this gentleman was ready for more wine. That made me happy.)
I definitely appreciated going to a wedding where I knew no-one would have a go about me wearing me-clothes, so yes, downfall of society. Hurray!

[cosmolinguist]

To be fair, we cis women who needed the loo got a cis man to scout it out first and assure us it was empty, so I didn't have to feel brave and I didn't worry as much as I might otherwise have done. But I was prepared for an argument if need be. ;)

It happened that we were in the loo at the time the "all the Doctor Who fans" photo was being taken and, not to stereotype horribly, that probably was a good time to be sure the people who'd use a men's toilet were not in the toilets because they were in the photos. :)

[sfred]

You're probably right. I was surprised at how many people didn't identify themselves as Doctor Who fans in general, though!

[cosmolinguist]

You don't have to have encyclopedic knowledge of and lifelong affection for Doctor Who to be a friend of Alex and Richard's...but it really does help. ;)

The times Andrew and I have spent with them does tend to lead to me being very quiet. I can usually just about follow them, and they're nice enough to explain things occasionally, but I don't want to drag them down to my level. :) It's enough for me to see the three of them enjoying themselves, and Andrew more comfortable and chatty than he is with almost anyone else on the planet. But yeah, I certainly wouldn't have been in the Doctor Who photo even had I not been in the loo at the time, because compared to Richard and Alex and all the people who would've been in the photo, I'd feel way out of my league. :)

[sfred]

I wasn't sure whether I qualified, but I wanted to, and David said I did so I got into the photo.

[cosmolinguist]

I think wanting to is the only real qualification :)

[sfred]

I agree. :-)

[haggis]

I was prepared to go in without Dave scouting it out for us but I was more concerned about my finger falling off at the time!

[cosmolinguist]

I did like your "I've been to BiCon, I'm not scared!" attitude. :)

Your finger did look awfully sore by then. Hope it's better now.

[umadoshi]

That is thoroughly delightful. *^^*